The Leather Menace: Samois Organizes Lesbian Sado-Masochists, Bay Area, CA, 1978-1982

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Beginning in 1978 in the Bay Area, Samois, the first known women’s sado-masochistic group in the world, worked to educate themselves and the broader women’s movement about lesbian-feminist SM. The group quickly became a lightning rod for critique from anti-SM feminists, yet they managed to form and maintain a community of liked minded women. In doing so, they laid the foundation for the creation of an entire subculture of Leatherdykes.


June 1978 Samois founded Summer 1978 First Samois play party November 1978 Group proposes meeting with WAVPM

January 1979 Public presentation at Old Wives Tales

June 1979 Group marches in Gay Day Parade; sells What Color is Your Handkerchief

July-Sept 1979 Ongoing conflict with bookstore 

     regarding sale of WCIYH

November 1979 Second public presentation March 1980 Action against bookstore that refuses to 

     sell WCIYH

June 1980 20 women & 1 child march in Samois 

     contigent of Gay Day Parade

February 1981 Nominated for Cable Car Award

April 1981 Third public presentation scheduled

May 1981 Problems with renting space at Women’s 

     Building due to concerns about SM

September 1981 Ms. Leather Contest October ??1982 Coming to Power, first printing

???? 1982 Group disbands

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